Dedicated Warrior Receives Needed Assistance

Aid given by Unmet Needs

January 03, 2013

The
Burns family knows what it means to face challenges. Michael, the patriarch of
the family, has gone through multiple deployments resulting in numerous injuries.

The
first incident involved his vehicle hitting an IED. The second occurred when he
was flung out of the gunner’s turret. He sustained a third set of injuries during
his second tour, this time due to shrapnel from an IED. After being transferred
to a medical center to heal, he returned to Iraq just one month later.

Michael
is a dedicated fighter for his country, but after returning home to the nation
he gave so much to, he wasn’t able to maintain a civilian job due to his
injuries. His family was in a tight spot and needed help, so he sought advice
from a VA representative.

The
representative pointed him to VFW’s Unmet Needs program. The
program approved the Burns family for a grant, ensuring funds for the family’s
rent and utilities. Michael’s wife Robyn was overwhelmed with relief once the
assistance came. She was so grateful to have an organization understand what
their family was going through. “It was so great to feel like we were not being
judged and people understood my husband’s injuries,” she said.

Since
2004, VFW’s Unmet Needs program has provided over 3,200 emergency financial
grants for military families during troubling times.

To learn
more about the Unmet Needs program or other VFW National Military Assistance
programs, click here.